Refrigerating means for precooling and cold-storage rooms



Jan. 27, 1931. c, MOORE v1,789,984-

REFRIGERATING MEANS FOR PRECOOLING AND COLD STORAGE ROOMS Original Fileg- 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j v J3 6 I72)? far 1 67247165 i 1100 c. A MOOREJan. 27, 1931.

REFRIGERATING MEANS FOR PREGOOLING AND COLD STORAGE ROOMS original FiledAug. 15. 1924 2 Sheets-$heet 2 u a M Patented Jam 27, 1931 UNITED STATESCHARLES A. MOORE, OF EDINA, MINNESOTA REFRIGERATING MEANS FORPR-ECOOLING AND COLD-STORAGE ROOMS Application filed August 15, 1924,Serial No. 732,344. Renewed September 17, 1928.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerating means,particularly, though not exclusively, for pre-cooling and cold storagerooms, the same being adapted to provide for refrigerated internalcirculation and refrigerated ventilation, or a combination of the two,by gravity alone, or, by gravity in com bination with force.

An object of the invention is to supply refrigerating means of thepresent nature, the same being simple and relatively inexpensive inconstruction and constituting acombination of elements arranged tofunction etliciently and economically.

vide improved means arranged to set up a natural movement of air, bygravity, within a room, whereby refrigerated internal circulation,refrigerated ventilation or a combination of both is effected within theroom,

said means including a blower for stimulating the natural movement ofair under said noted conditions.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear inthefollowing de- SCIlptlOll, the invention resides in the novel combinationand arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a structure embodying myinvention, the same being illustrated as installed in a room; Fig. 2 isa vertical, longitudinal, central sectional view thereof taken as on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view takentransversely of Fig. 1 as on the line 3-3 thereof and Fig. 4 is asectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference areemployed throughout the several views to designate similar parts, itwill be observed that my improvement embodies a refrigerating unit A,main ducts 10, 11 and branch-ducts 10, 11, said parts being assembled inthe upper portion of a room B. The refrigerating unit A includes bankedcoils of pipe 12 for a refrigerating medium are hung within side and endbafliing walls a, a suitably suspended as by means of hangers 13 fromthe ceiling Another object of the invention is to pro- 14 of the room B.The lower reaches of these pipes 12 have troughs 1.4 suspended there--beneath and emptying into gutters 15 carried at the inner, lower marginsof the bafliing walls a, a. Said walls a, a are spaced within the sidesand ends of the room B and beneath the ceiling 14 thereof, and the pipestructure therein has a central port a opening downward therethrough andextending from end to end of the unit A. With a refrigerating mediumflowing through the pipes 12, the air about said pipes is chilled and,in such condition, gravitates through the unit A to the floor 16 of theroom B. VVarmed at the walls 17 of the room, the air rises between saidwalls and the walls a, a of the unit A to the ceiling 14 of the room atwhich level the cycle through the room is again inaugurated.

The ducts 10, 11 are suspended from the ceiling 14 of the room bysuitablehangers,

through the port 10", the duct 11 being likewise open to the roomthrough the port 11 and at a level, considerably beneath that of theport 10*, but directly over and near the top of the port a in the unitA. At one end of the duct structure, said ducts 10, 11 are formed withregistering openings, one in the bottom of the upper duct 10 and one inthe top of the lower duct 11, said openings constituting a passageway 19between said ducts 10, 11.

A damper 20, located within the duct 10, i

is hinged to swing-into and out of position obstructing said passageway19. At the end of the duct structure at which the ducts 10, 11 areconnected through the passageway 19 are the two branch-ducts 10 11, theformer extending from the duct 10 through the wall 17 of the room Binto. the outer atmosphere 35 This same condition exists, without adirectly active skimming-off of air in the uppermost 11 and over theport 11 therein.

and the latter extending from the duct 11 and likewise into the outeratmosphere. These branch-ducts 10, 11 are respectively fitted withdampers 21, 22. Within the duct 11 is a fan or blower 23, which isarranged to take air from the branch-duct 11*, or the duct 10 throughthe passageway 19, or both, and force it through the duct 11 and out ofthe port 11 therein. To equalize the volume ofair expelled from the port11 at different points in the length thereof, I provide a simpleadjustable valve, the same comp-rising a baflie strip 24 arranged,within the duct This baflie strip 24 is hinged to the inner face of thebottom of the duct 11 at the end thereof containing the fan 23.Operating beneath the free end of the baffle strip 24: is an adjustingscrew 25 for said strip 24. This screw 25, threaded in a bearing 26 hungbeneath the duct 11, engages the underside of said strip 24 at its upperend, the lower end' of said screw having a handle 25 thereon for turningthe same. a

In use, and with the fan 23 idle, the damper 20 open and the dampers 21,22 closed, the cycle of air in the room is carried out, in part, throughthe ducts 10, 11, air in the duct 11, supplied from the duct 10 passingdown wardly into the refrigerating unit A through the port 11", saidduct 10 being replenished with air through the port 1O at the upperportion of the room. Thus functioning the structure provides forrefrigerated circulation ofair within the room, by gravity.

is caused to descend between the baffles a and the adjacent banks ofcoils of the unit A.

Thus it may be-understood. that, in either case, the air is refrigeratedand caused by gravity to effect an internal, convective and diffusedcirculation within the room. The opening of the dampers 20, 21 and 22results in mixed refrigerated circulation and venti-.

lation, while the closing of the damper 20 resolves -such condition moreespecially into that of refrigerated ventilation. The operation of thefan 23 stimulates the movement of the air through its natural courseunder each of the conditions above noted, the-screw 25 being adjusted tograduate the opening of the port 11 through the medium of the bafflestrip 24 and in accordance with the-regulated capacity ofthe fan23. p l

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: Y

1. The combination with a room of a refrigerating element in the room,said element having a central, longitudinal port for the passage of airdownwardly therethrough, a duct structure disposed above therefrigerating element and over said port, said structure embodying apair of ducts, one apertnred and communicating with the interior of theroom near the ceiling and the second apertured and communicating withthe room at a lower level, but above the port in the refrigeratingelement, said ducts at one end of the duct structure having a valvedpassageway between them bringing the first duct into communication withthe latter, a pair of branch-ducts at said end of the duct structure,one leading from said first duct into the outer air, and having a valvetherein, the second branch-duct leading from the outer air to'saidsecond duct and also having a valve therein, and a fan within saidsecond duct being adapted to set up an ingress of air to the roomthrough the second mentioned branch-duct and duct and the egress of airtherefrom through the first mentioned duct andbranch-duct.

2. The combination with a room of a refrigerating element in the room, aduct structure above said element comprising a pair of ducts, onecommunicating with the other at one end of the duct structure, and eachhaving independent valved communication with the outer air at saidend'of said structure, one of said ducts being apertured to receive airfrom the room at a level near the ceiling and the other of said ductsapertured to discharge air into the room at a lower elevation, but abovesaid refrigerating element, and a fan in said latter duct arranged asand for the purposes described.

3. The combination with a room of a refrigerating element in the room, aduct structure above said element comprising a suction duct and anexhaustduct, the two being in communication with each other, the formerproviding for the ingress thereto of air I from the room along theceiling thereof over said refrigerating element and the latter providingfor the downward egress of air into the room at a lower level, and a fanassociated with said ducts for setting up a suction in the suction ductand air exhausting pressure in the exhaust duct.

4. The combination with a room of a refrigerating element within theroom, a duct structure including a pair of ducts above said element, oneduct communicating with the I egress of air from end to end of thesecond duct above said refrigerating element and at a level beneath thelevel of ingress of air to said first duct.

5. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating element forsaid room extending lengthwise of the room and spaced from the sidesthereof, said refrigerating element having an elongated port lengthwisethereof opening downwardly therethrough, a duct structure over said portextending lengthwise thereof and comprising a pair of superimposedducts, the upper duct being .clear of the ceiling and having anelongated port in the top side thereof for the ingress therethrough ofair from the room, the lower duct having an elongated egress duct in itsunder side, each of said ducts having valved communication with theouter atmosphere.

6. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating elementarranged centrally and longitudinally thereof, a duct structureover'said element arranged centrally and longitudinally of the same,said structure comprising a pair of ducts, one communicating therealongwith the interior of the room near the ceiling thereof and the othercommunicating therealong with the interior of the room at a lower level,said ducts having independent valved communication with the outeratmosphere.

7. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating elementarranged centrally and longitudinally thereof, a duct structure oversaid element arranged centrally and longitudinally of the same, saidstructure comprisinga pair of ducts, one communicating therealong withthe interior of the room near the ceiling thereof and the othercon'imunicating therealong with the interior of the room at a lowerlevel, said ducts being in valved communication with each other andhaving independent valved communication with the outer atmosphere.

8. The combination with a room of a refrigerating element therein spacedfrom the ceiling, Walls and floor of the room, and having a verticalpassageway therethrough. a duct having an opening at a position adjacentthe ceiling of the room over said vertical passageway, said duct havingcommunication with the outer atmosphere, and a second duct communicatingwith the outer atmosphere and having an opening disposed above saidvertical passageway.

9. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating elementwithin the room spaced from the ceiling and side walls thereof, a pairof ducts extending over said element, one duct communicating at one endthereof with one end of the other duct, said ducts being formed withports therein providing for the ingressof air therealong to one and theegress of air therealong from the other, and a fan arranged to set up acirculation of air through said ducts. v

10. The combination with a roomof an overhead duct assembly confined tothe room and arranged centrally and longitudinally thereof, saidassembly comprising a pair-of ducts, one a suction duct communicatingtherealong withthe interior of theroom, and the other a pressure ductcommunicating therealong with the interior-of the room, the

suction duct being in communication with the pressure duct, and meansfor setting up a circulation of air in said ducts.

11. The combination with a room of adjacent overhead ducts arrangedcentrally of the room, each duct having an extension in communicationwith the atmosphere at the exterior of the room, one duct openingtherealong into the room in a plane above the level of its respectiveextension and the other duct opening therealong into the room in a planebeneath the level of its respective extension.

12. The combination with a room of adjacent overhead ducts arrangedcentrally of the room, each duct having an extension in communicationwith the atmosphere at the exterior of the room, one duct openingtherealong into the room in a plane above the level of its respectiveextension and the other duct opening therealong into the room in a planebeneath the level of its respective extension,

and a fan associated with said last mentioned duct for impelling airfrom the exflerior of the room into andfrom said last uct.

13. The combination with a room of adjacent overhead ducts arrangedcentrally of the room, each duct opening therealong into the interior ofthe room and opening at one end into the atmosphere at the exterior ofthe room, and a fan in one duct adjacent the end thereof opening intothe outer atmosphere,

said fanbeing arranged to impel fresh air into'its respective'duct andfrom said duct into the interior of the room.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. MOORE.

